


Mother May I

by Mad_Muse_Musings



Series: Mother May I Verse [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Domestic, F/F, Family, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-17
Updated: 2014-01-16
Packaged: 2018-01-09 00:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1139416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mad_Muse_Musings/pseuds/Mad_Muse_Musings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Skye is captured and de-aged the team has to step up and be her family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Starting Over

When the door opened the team deflated. They were sure this was where Centipede had taken Skye, but all that was left was a single swinging light over a chair that had ropes hanging off of it.

“They must have moved her.” Ward supplied, May had already turned and was stalking out of the building.

Simmons pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, chewing on it. She had a feeling, something deep in her stomach was nagging at her to stay, just a few minutes longer. “Perhaps I should do the three dimensional graphing, in case there is something small they forgot.”

“Five minutes.” May yelled over her shoulder.

Simmons nodded while Ward and Fitz left her to do her thing. Kneeling down with the silver case, Simmons carefully freed the little robots that would do the mapping of the room for her. Sitting back on her heels she waited for them to return as she played with the tablet that was programmed specifically for their use.

And then she heard it. It was a soft giggle, like one that was being suppressed behind a child’s hand.

“Who’s there?” She called, her voice bouncing off the mostly empty building to come back and mock her. And the giggle disappeared.

Jemma scrunched her face up, returning her attention to the tablet. Maybe she was just hearing things.

Then it happened again. This time louder, bouncing off the walls just as her voice had earlier.

Jemma slowly stood up, placing the tablet in the silver case. “Who’s there?” She called again.

This time Ward poked his head through the door. “Are you okay?”

“I keep hearing giggling. Have you heard it?” Jemma asked, the smallest hint of fear making her voice hitch at the end.

Ward slowly shook his head. “Are you sure you’re not imagining things?”

Jemma shook her head before sighing and crouching back down as the drones started to return. As each drone was placed back in its soft foam home, the portion of the room it had scanned appeared on the tablet. Once the last one was tucked in, Jemma pulled up the full image, rotating it around. She was looking at the last corner of the room, her eyes wide as she took in the heat signature that was splayed in the corner. “Ward.” She called over her shoulder.

His steps echoed in the room as he made his way over to look over her shoulder. “What is that?” He finally asked.

“A person.”

Ward pulled his gun and was aiming it at the corner quicker than Jemma could process. “Come out. Hands up.” He yelled at the corner.

They waited for a second for someone to walk out, and nothing. Then crying echoed in the room.

Jemma looked up at Ward, confusion written as plain as day on both of their faces. This was a Centipede building, they were not the type of criminal organization to cry and beg mercy. Was it a trap? Or was this an innocent bystander?

Jemma looked at Ward for instruction, but only received a puzzled look. That feeling in her stomach was nagging her now, and without a second thought she put the tablet down and picked up a flash light. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves she walked towards the corner, and Ward fell into step behind her. It wasn’t the optimal set up, she could easily be shot, but if there was a bad guy hiding in the corner, showing disorder would get them both killed.

Slowly, they approached the unknown person, every step matched. And then the light finally fell on a little girl with long brown hair, crying into her knees, they both let out a sigh of relief.

“Hey.” Jemma said, kneeling down in front of the little girl. “My name is Jemma, what’s yours?”

The little girl looked up, swallowing hard and rubbing her hands across her face to remove the tears. “Skye.”

Jemma’s head whipped around so fast to look at Ward with wide eyes, that it was a wonder she didn’t give herself whiplash.

“It can’t be.” He answered her questioning eyes.

Jemma turned back to look at the little girl. “Are you sure that’s your name?”

The little girl nodded.

“How old are you?” Jemma asked.

Skye’s face scrunched up like she was thinking really hard before she held out her right hand, four fingers out.

“Okay, Skye. Can I pick you up?”

Skye nodded, her eyes glued to Jemma as she stood. Quickly Jemma bent down and swung Skye up on her hip.

“You’ll get the case?” Jemma asked, her attention shifting to Ward for a moment.

He nodded before adding, “I’ll meet you back on the BUS.”

Jemma nodded, turning the flashlight off and handing it Ward before walking out of the building and up the cargo ramp of the BUS. Skye’s arms were wrapped tight around Jemma’s neck, hiding her face in Jemma’s shoulder. The whooshing sound of the lab doors opening managed to pull a small giggle from her though.

Jemma stopped at the lab table in the middle, gently sitting Skye down on the edge. “Can you sit here for me?”

Skye nodded.

“Good.” Jemma said with a bright smile, before turning to pull on her lab coat. She had to know if this was really Skye. The possibility that it was just a poor child that Centipede had kidnapped and taught to say her name was Skye was far too high. Jemma picked up the small leather case that she kept stocked with needles and tubes for drawing blood and pulled a stool over to sit in front of Skye.

“What’s that?” Skye asked pointing to the leather case.

“This is my super special test kit. I want to make sure everything is okay with you, so I need to run some tests. I want you to close your eyes and think of something really happy. This is going to hurt a little bit.”

Skye nodded, closing her eyes really tightly.

Jemma quickly went to work, straightening Skye’s arm out. “Make a fist.”

As soon as Skye complied, Jemma tied the tourniquet around her arm, quickly finding a vein and sliding the needle in as smoothly as possible. Three vials of blood later, Jemma pulled the needle from her arm, and place a ball of cotton and band aid over the wound.

“That hurt.” Skye said, tears trailing down her face.

“I know, but no more boo boos for now.” Jemma said, trying to reassure the girl.

Skye sniffled, but the tears kept coming.

Jemma frowned before putting the vials in the small refrigerator and pulling her lab gear off. “I have an idea.” Jemma said, before standing in front of Skye, her arms open so the girl could latch onto her.

Slowly Skye put her arms around Jemma, and they shifted until Skye was on her hip again. Jemma walked out of the lab and looked at the metal spiral stairs with a small amount of horror. A quick sigh, and she was working her way up the dreaded things with Skye on her hip. Once she reached the top she realized it wasn’t as bad as she expected, but it was still pretty terrible. She was breathing hard when she finally got to her room. Maybe doing some physical training would be a good idea after all, she thought, punching in her door combination.

Sitting Skye down on her bed, Jemma reached up on the shelf and grabbed a fluffy stuffed bear.

“This is Sir Fluffington. He was my best friend for a really long time before I met this really awesome girl. I think you could borrow him for a while though.” Jemma said, sitting beside Skye and handing her the stuffed bear.

“He’s pretty.” Skye said, wrapping her arms around the bear, in a bear hug.

“He will be your friend now too.” Jemma said smiling. “But you have to take good care of him.”

“I promise.” Skye said, wide brown eyes staring at Jemma.

“Good. Are you hungry?”

Skye nodded rapidly.

“Let’s see what I can scrounge up. You okay with walking, there are no stairs.”

Skye nodded again, sliding off the bed to stand. With one arm wrapped firmly around Sir Fluffington and the other raised up to hold Jemma’s hand, they walked through the hallways until the got to the small kitchen, where Coulson was building a sub, packing on enough of the precooked steak and cheese that Jemma was sure it would make the man’s cholesterol skyrocket.

His eyebrow raised slightly at the pair before wiping his hands off on a towel and walking around the island to crouch down in front of Skye. “Hello young lady. My name is Phil.”

Skye looked up at Jemma cautiously before Jemma gave her a nod.

“Hi Phil. You’re sandwich is really big.”

“I know, but that will be our little secret okay?” Coulson said with a wink.

Skye smiled. “Okay!”

“I’m going to leave you with Jemma, but you and I will talk again soon.”

Skye nodded, clutching Jemma’s hand tightly.

Coulson stood up, standing very close to Jemma, before leaning in so only she would hear. “I don’t know what is going on, but I want a report ASAP Simmons.”

Jemma nodded, knowing she would have to answer questions later, and hopefully she would have answers then.

“So munchkin, how about peanut butter and jelly?” Jemma asked, scooping the girl up so that she could sit on the corner of the counter, as Coulson left the kitchen, his heart attack on a sub roll with him.

“Yummy.”

“Agreed.” Jemma said, pulling the required materials out and setting to work on their sandwich. Splitting it down the center, Jemma handed half to Skye and ate the other half while she stood in the kitchen with her.

“Good.” Skye said, before a rogue yawn slipped out.

Jemma smiled before picking the girl up from the counter and starting the trek back to the lab. If she could get Skye to sleep in the lab, she could get some work done on the blood and hopefully have a report for everyone on what was actually going on.

By the time Jemma made it to the lab, she had decided going up stairs was way easier than going down, and forget what ever training Ward had in mind, carrying Skye around was good enough. Once Skye was sitting on the lab table, Jemma found the extra pillow and blanket she had stored in the lab. Some nights, when she couldn’t sleep in the room by herself, she would come down to the lab and sleep there, and now she was thankful for her odd sleeping habit.

Jemma quickly tucked Skye in, placing a kiss on her forehead, before pulling the stool over to the spread of lab equipment, diving head first into the mystery.

Two hours later, Jemma was victoriously printing out her conclusion, as Skye woke up. And now she could definitively say, it was Skye. Her Skye.


	2. Family of Guilt

Jemma held the folder with her findings in one hand and Skye’s hand in the other, staring down Coulson’s office door.

“Remember what I talked about, you have to be really quiet while I am talking to Mr. Coulson. Here.” Jemma said putting headphones in Skye’s ears and unwrapping the cord from around the iPod from her pocket. “I am going to turn music on for you to listen to, okay?”

Skye nodded as Jemma hit play on the iPod and classical music filled her ears. Jemma opened the door before taking Skye’s hand again. Skye broke away and climbed up into one of the chairs in front of the desk while Jemma stood just in front of her chair.

“Sit.” Coulson said without looking up.

Jemma nodded, taking her seat and sliding the file onto his desk under his eyes.

“Speak.” Coulson said, opening the folder and scanning her result sheet.

“Sir, it would appear that Centipede used Skye as a lab rat for a serum they developed in an attempt to stabilize the reaction of their super soldiers. It would appear that this serum didn’t just slow down the body development, and by proxy the reaction in the soldiers, it went as far as regressing the body development. As a result, Skye’s body essentially de-aged, and she is now four years old. Before you ask, I think I can reverse it, but it would be like putting her body on super aging for the rest of her life. However, I do believe that when the serum starts wearing off she will re-age at a rate of 4 times normal until she is back to the original age of 24.”

“So for an undetermined amount of time we are in possession of a child.” Coulson responded.

“Well, yes, sir.”

“And are you volunteering to be her caretaker in the mean time?”

“Not exactly, sir, she is part of the team, should it not be a team effort?”

“Unless something changes, you’re her primary, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Jemma responded, looking at Skye wiggling in the chair to the music.

“Very well.” Coulson said, dismissing her.

Jemma’s smile was tight as she looked at Coulson before she picked Skye up out of the chair and put her on her hip, removing the ear buds.

“Done?” Skye asked.

Jemma nodded.

“Bye-bye, Mr. Phil.” Skye said, waving over Jemma’s shoulder as they walked out.

Coulson looked up with a tight smile, waving to Skye.

* * *

 

Jemma sat on her bed watching Skye play with Sir Fluffington and another stuffed animal, a penguin, she had found in the storage for potential intakes, while she was commandeering any of the clothing that might fit a four year old girl. 

“What are you going to name that one?” Jemma asked.

“This is Sir Fuzzy. He is Sir Fluffington’s best friend.” Skye responded, continuing to play without paying Jemma too much mind.

Jemma smiled before pulling a biomedical engineering text book into her lap. Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard after all, she thought, picking up where she left off the night before in the massive tome. Jemma was yawning after two chapters, but Skye was still playing with as much enthusiasm as when she started. “Hey, bed time in 10 minutes okay?”

Skye nodded that she heard Jemma, but Jemma wasn’t so sure it would be that easy. Jemma put the book back on her night stand before slipping into her small bathroom to brush her teeth and change, keeping the door cracked to keep an eye on Skye. When Jemma was finished she walked back into the room to see Skye sitting on bed, both stuffed animals already tucked in, but she was sitting in her t-shirt and jeans still.

“Here, let’s put you in one of my shirts for tonight.” Jemma said, pulling a shirt out of her dresser and kneeling in front of Skye on the bed. With ease Jemma helped Skye out of the clothes and put the shirt over her head and smiled looking at the little girl sitting in a shirt that read “If my right leg is the cell wall and my left the membrane, do you want to be the cytoplasm?” It was probably the corniest shirt Jemma owned, and it was normally reserved for doing yoga in but her supply of t-shirts was shockingly low. “Ready for bed?”

Skye nodded, scooting back on the bed until she was laying between the two stuffed animals, leaving Jemma just enough room to lay down as well. Once she was sure Skye was tucked in, she went back to reading. She got through another chapter before her own body demanded sleep, and the little snores coming from the four year old beside her were not helpful to her struggle to stay awake. Placing the book on the table, Jemma turned the lamp off as well and settled in to go to sleep.

Jemma couldn’t have been asleep for more than ten minutes when screams and crying woke her up. Quickly reaching to turn the light back on, Jemma sat up in bed, pulling Skye into her lap. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I… I… I don’t like the dark.” Skye said between sobs.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’ll leave the light on.” Jemma whispered, running her hand up and down Skye’s back. She should have known, she chastises herself, she has never walked past Skye’s door at night and the light not been on, even when she was sure she was sleeping. Even with all the age regression, Jemma figured some things were so burned into the psyche that they would withstand.

And true to her word Jemma left the light on once Skye fell back to sleep, the only problem was she couldn’t sleep then. Doing her best not to wake Skye with her tossing and turning, she tried everything, from shoving her face in her pillow to try to block the light out, to throwing her arm over her eyes. Nothing worked. A little bit of light would spill in at the edges and she would be wide awake. She had always gotten up with the first light so attempting to sleep through it was impossible.

With a sigh she slipped out of the bed and onto the floor, textbook in her lap and read, hoping that maybe the book would lull her to sleep, but Jemma Simmons was not that lucky. She was only her twelfth chapter of the night when the sun peaked through the window in her room, and a glance at the clock told her that it was six in the morning. Skye was curled up around Sir Fufflington, sleeping soundly and Jemma wasn’t eager to wake the girl but she needed to start her day. Sighing Jemma pushed herself off of the floor, wincing at how stiff her back was, and started her morning routine of showering and brushing her teeth.

By the time Jemma had finished getting them both ready she had lost an hour and when she went to the kitchen to get her morning tea and muffin, Fitz was already there. Coulson had obviously briefed everyone on the situation when Fitz smiled, his mouth full of muffin, and sputtering crumbs everywhere, said hi to Skye.

Skye giggled, and warmed up to Fitz almost immediately, as if she could sense how close to Jemma he was. There was no question like there was with Coulson, Skye simply left Jemma’s side and squealed in delight when Fitz swung her up into a tall chair to share what was probably his second muffin with her.

Jemma sighed in relief watching the two of them while she held onto her mug of tea like it was the only thing grounding her in that moment. Mentally she decided this was the best outcome, Fitz and Skye getting on like long lost friends meant they could take turns entertaining the child while the other worked on some research.

* * *

 

Jemma was exhausted. She had to get some sleep, or she was going to be useless. As it was, sitting by the tub while she bathed Skye was using up the last bit of her energy. Skye was fighting her every step of the way, making it almost impossible to bathe the girl with anything close to efficiency. She was too nervous to put Skye in a room by herself, but she had no idea how she was going to sleep with the light on, and after the nightmare that was bathing Skye, sleep was the only thing on her agenda.

Swaying slightly on her feet, Jemma helped Skye out of the bathtub and quickly dried her off before helping her into the t-shirt and clean underwear. “In to bed, I’ll be in there in just a minute.” Jemma said, gently pushing Skye into the bedroom.

She was light headed from standing all day, and towards the end she just took Skye duty and let Fitz work on projects, so that at least he wouldn’t catch her making silly mistakes from lack of sleep. Rubbing her eyes hard, Jemma forced herself through the door, trying to stifle a yawn but failing miserably. Sliding into the bed beside Skye, she spooned the little girl in a protective embrace, and was thankful to be laying down.

Skye fell asleep almost instantaneously, hugging Jemma’s arm and Sir Fuzzy, while Sir Fluffington was sandwiched between them. Jemma on the other hand slept in five to ten minute increments. She would drift off for a few minutes, only to be jolted awake by the light.

By the time six a.m. rolled around again, Jemma wasn’t sure if she was in a better position or not. Sure she had gotten some sleep, but nothing truly restful. And this time, when she staggered into the kitchen with Skye in tow at seven, even Fitz noticed.

“Jem, you look like shit. Are you sick?”

Jemma shook her head and immediately regretted it. This was worse than the morning after they had graduated and Fitz had convinced her that drinking was a good way to celebrate. Everything was swimming in front of her face, and for a moment she thought she might actually be sick, but once she knocked back a cup of breakfast tea, and the caffeine ran through her system, she felt a little better.

“Fine. Just tired.” Jemma said, with a half-smile.

“If you say so.”

Jemma nodded, slowly this time just to make sure the world wasn’t going to swim again.

 

* * *

 

By that evening Jemma was done with a capital “D”. She had spilt acid at least twice that day, and when she almost did it a third time, Fitz told her to go play with Skye and not to come back into the lab until she was sure she wasn’t going to burn a hole through him or herself.

“Skye, please I have to turn the lights out. I need to sleep.” Jemma begged as they laid in bed.

“O…okay.” She whispered, her lip was quivering with the fear that was setting in already and Jemma felt horrible, but her exhaustion won out.

She reached up and turned the light off, sinking into exhaustions embrace quickly. She was dreaming, she was back in the building where they found Skye, and she was crying as Ward pointed a gun at her. Only this time the crying didn’t stop when Jemma kneeled down and was nice to her, it kept getting louder, and louder, until Jemma woke up.

Skye was sitting up in a ball crying into her knees, and Jemma felt terrible. Turning over to look at the clock she realized she had only gotten an hour of sleep, and that wasn’t going to be enough. Sighing, Jemma reached up to turn the light on, and then got out of bed, picking Skye up and making sure Sir Fluffington was in her grasp. “I’m not mad Skye, but I need to sleep. Someone else has to watch you tonight.”

Skye nodded, tears still flowing down her face as they walked down the hall. Ward was out, being one half of the anti warm and fuzzy team, and his light was off anyway. Jemma almost started crying when she saw Fitz’s light was also off for the night, and a single tear did leak out when she saw Coulson’s was off as well. The only person that was left was May, and she was less than ideal, but Jemma was so desperate for sleep, and if someone was still going to be up, it would be May.

Jemma quickly walked to the cockpit and May’s bedroom that was right behind it and sighed in relief when she saw the light was on, and almost thanked god when she heard May’s voice on the other side of the door. She was still up, just for tonight Jemma could pass Skye off.

Jemma knocked as hard as she could muster on the door, and she was sure she heard May say come in, but when she opened the door the shock on May’s face clearly stated otherwise.

“Bye ‘Tasha.” May muttered before snapping the laptop shut in her lap. “Simmons.”

Jemma visibly shook herself, her brain was trying to put all the pieces together but full capacity just wasn’t there, and she almost forgot what she was doing there.

“Can you please watch Skye tonight? I haven’t slept in two days, and I just really need to sleep.” Jemma was crying by the time she finished her sentence and Skye was wiggling around in her hold. Jemma bent down to put the little girl down, only for her to hide behind Jemma’s leg.

“No.” May responded.

“Please.” Jemma wasn’t above begging for her own sleep.

“I do not do children, Simmons.”

“It’s Skye, ma’am. Please, I just need to get to sleep, just for tonight.”

“Not the argument you think it is.” May snapped back at her.

“What do you want me to do, I will do anything for just a night of sleep!” Jemma was full blown sobbing now. Why wouldn’t May help her?

“Fine.” May rolled her eyes.

“Oh god, thank you, May.” Crouching down to talk to Skye, Jemma swayed on the balls of her feet. “You are going to stay with Agent May tonight okay? You do everything she tells you okay?”

Skye nodded, holding Sir Fluffington close to her chest like he would protect her.

“Good night Skye.” Jemma said, putting a light kiss on her forehead before turning to May. “Thank you so much. I owe you.”

“Yes. You do.” May responded before watching Jemma leave, swaying as if she was intoxicated. Then she shifted her attention to Skye who was standing in the middle of her room holding on to the stuffed animal like it was her life line.

“Hi.” Skye whispered, her voice was thick from the crying she had done while Jemma attempted to sleep.

May rolled her eyes before pulling back the covers for Skye to climb into the bed. “Bed. Now.”

Skye almost ran to the bed, climbing up into it with a little bit of help from May who managed to keep the lap top in place in her lap while hoisting the child up one handed.

Reaching over her, May put the laptop on the bedside table, knowing her phone would start exploding shortly with text messages at the way that Skype call had ended with Natasha, but for now she had a four year old in the room and Natasha Romanov would just have to wait to get hers, just like May was going to have to wait as well. Frustrated as all get out, Melinda reached to turn the light off, only to be halted by the fear that was quickly consuming Skye’s face.

“Scared of the dark?” May asked looking at the little girl.

Slowly she nodded, clutching the bear harder.

May sighed, she could sleep with the light on but it wasn’t the best sleep, but it explained why Simmons had been so exhausted. She knew Simmons and Fitz both needed pitch darkness to sleep, the first time she flew them over Alaska in the summer when the sun was constantly up, it was like the two had turned into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

May was curious now though, why was Skye so scared of the dark. She waited for the little girl to fall asleep before she reached for the lap top, putting it in her lap again. Quickly she pulled up the database from S.H.I.E.L.D. and then Skye’s file, the unredacted version that only Coulson and herself had access to.  Most of the information she knew early on into the file, considering the first page that for Skye had been completely blacked out explained one of Tony Starks many indiscretions with a woman who he ended up getting killed, and how Melinda May ended up finding Skye in the nursery, crying after the fight had broken. May had tried to convince Tony to keep her, he had the means but he was young, younger than her, and didn’t want to be a father, so Melinda had taken Skye to the orphanage. The sister in charge didn’t ask a lot of questions, and May had made it clear that Skye was never to know anything about the circumstances that surrounded the beginning of her life, and the sister agreed. And that was where May had left it, where she thought it would always be left. Until Skye showed up on her plane, and her true motives were made clear.

Now she had to fill in the gaps, if only to fill some sense of curiosity. Once she got through the report on her own doings in Skye’s life she got to the orphanages files that had been lifted after Skye turned 18 and was free to do as she pleased. There were 18 families in total in her files. One for every year of her life it seemed, but none of them kept her for this reason or that, all of them documented. It wasn’t until May got to the 12th family that Skye’s fear of the dark made sense.

_Reintake interview: Skye claimed that she was acting in self-defense. James Parsons had a history of abusing her according to Skye. Early into the potential placement, he had shoved her in a closet for hours on end, and when she was finally released she was locked in a bedroom with no light. The events of the 16 th of March, according to Skye are as follows; Parsons was attempting to lock her back in the closet, she had broken a dish when it slipped from her hand while she was washing dishes. He had taken a belt to her, multiple times, and in order to protect herself she threw a lamp at him, striking him in the head. _

_*** SEVERE PHOBIA OF DARKNESS NOW PRESENT*** –Sister June_

May’s eyes read over the words over and over, and for the first time in 24 years, since she dropped Skye off at the orphanage, guilt overwhelmed her. Melinda May felt responsible, and as she flipped through the pages of the file, the guilt grew. Family number 12 was not a one-time occurrence, it was simply the start to a pattern.


	3. Anger Management

May walked into the kitchen the following morning, Skye following her in, looking for Jemma. Thankfully, Jemma was sitting at the counter nursing her tea and picking at a muffin, looking much better than she had the night before.

“Here.” May said as way of passing Skye back off, before turning on her heel and heading straight to the training room, pulling her jacket and shirt off as she walked so she was left in a black sports bra and matching yoga pants. Once she moved through the door, the clothing went flying to a corner as she positioned herself in front of the punching bag.

Flesh met conditioned leather over and over, until her knuckles started to ache and she looked down to see her dominant hand was starting to bleed, and mentally kicked herself for forgetting to wrap her hands first.

“Argh!” She yelled, pulling all her force into one final blow, blood blooming across the punching bag where she struck it.

“You’ll have to clean that up you know.” Coulson said from where he leaned on the door frame, watching her.

May turned around, startled and then angry all over again for letting him sneak up on her. “How long have you been there?”

“I was in the kitchen. I followed you. Not very observant today Agent May.”

“Guilt and anger will do that.” She responds picking the spray bottle full of antiseptic and two towels from their place by the wall only to squirt her own knuckles, hissing at the sting and putting a towel over them.

“You read the rest of Skye’s file.” It wasn’t a question. He knew.

May almost snorted as she sprayed the punching bag down, dragging a towel over it until the white turned pink from the blood. Instead she just nodded and added, “I don’t want to talk about it.” Throwing the towel on the ground she stood in the middle of the padded area, taking calming, centering breaths. If beating the ever living fuck out of the punching bag didn’t make her feel better, maybe some tai chi would do the trick.

“Good. I will do the talking then.” Coulson says. “You did what was best for her, Melinda. You were 22, fresh out of S.H.I.E.L.D. training, what were you going to do with an infant that Tony Stark wouldn’t take responsibility for? God, even now I wouldn’t trust him with a child. You tried to get him to keep her, and you made the best decision you could given the circumstances. You can’t blame yourself for her not being adopted, or being abused.”

May stopped moving, breathing harshly through her nose. “I could have done it different.”

“And given up your career before it ever started?”

“I walked away eventually, anyway. Until you and this misfit band of heros we have here.”

“And yet you stayed in shape, took the physical every year for special ops certification.”

May closed her eyes, and went back to trying to calm herself.

“You can’t change the past.” Coulson adds.

“I didn’t think you could come back from the dead either, but here you are.” May responds snidely.

“Don’t do something rash, Melinda. Like after Bahrain.” Coulson says, turning to leave her, but adding “Tell Natasha to stop texting me when she is pissed at you too.”

“I don’t control her, you never could either.” Melinda responds, carefully choosing to ignore his comment about Bahrain because she wants to slam his probably reconstructed face into the wall.

Coulson lets a small chuckle escape, because she right, no one could control Natasha, or her.

An hour later, May pours herself into the pilot’s seat, her hair still dripping and her hand now bandaged. “God damn it Coulson!” She finally yells in the mostly sound proof cockpit, banging her hand against the armrest on her chair. Why couldn’t he have just left her alone to beat her feelings out, why did he have to remind her that she could change the past, because she had a four year old Skye on the plane now?

* * *

 

“Are you better?” Skye asked, sitting in the lab with Jemma, while Jemma moved around pulling on lab gear and gathering materials to take more blood.

Jemma nodded before sitting on the stool in front of Skye. “Was Agent May nice to you?”

Skye nodded. “She left the light on.”

“You went right to bed?”

“I did. She didn’t. She was saying mean things to her computer when I woke up once.” Skye said, giggling at the end.

Jemma smiled at the little giggles that were almost infectious, before putting her kit down on the table next to Skye. “I need to take more blood okay?”

Skye nodded slowly, hugging Sir Fluffington tighter to her chest while she put the other arm out for Jemma.

Jemma smiled and placed a light kiss to Skye’s forehead. “You’re such a good girl.” Jemma quickly slipped into the head space of being solely focused on what she was doing, gently sliding the needle into Skye’s arm.

When she was done, dropping two vials of blood into the stand by her lab equipment, Skye looked at her with wide eyes.

“Can I go play with Leo?” She asked.

Jemma nodded, helping her off the table. As soon as little sneakered feet hit the ground she was running towards the sliding doors, looking for Fitz. Jemma turned around to catch up with her when she heard a little “ooof” followed by a grunt. Jemma couldn’t hide the horror that bloomed across her face when she saw that Skye had ran face first into Ward and he was currently holding her shoulders to keep her from toppling backwards.

“Watch where you’re going.” He commanded before moving around her and letting go of her shoulders so she could run off.

“Tell him to come back here!” Jemma called after Skye as she ran to where Fitz was laying on the hood of the SUV looking at Lola with what could only be classified as car envy.

Jemma watched through the doors as Fitz slid down to meet her and pick her up, swinging her around in the air while she giggled. Satisfied Skye wasn’t going to get in trouble and by proxy Jemma, she turned her attention to Ward.

“What can I do for you Agent Ward?” Jemma asked sweetly.

“May sent me to get you.”

Jemma almost crumpled to the floor. This was it, May was going to give her the ‘what to and how come’, for showing up the night before and passing Skye off. “W-where?” Jemma managed to stutter out.

“Cockpit.”

Jemma nodded stiffly before gathering any bit of courage she had left. As she walked out of the lab, her rationalizations kicked in. May couldn’t kill her, Coulson would kill May for killing her, right? Or was Coulson petrified of her, too?

Fitz caught her attention as she was walking, only to point at Skye, the unspoken, do you need me to take over.

Jemma nodded, a tight smile on her face. She wasn’t walking to her death, nope, not at all.

By the time she made it to the cockpit, Jemma had run through every way May might kill her, not all of them totally unpleasant, and she felt like she was going to get violently ill. Pushing the door open, and for the first time entering May’s space. Jemma stood watching for a moment. May was completely at ease with everything when she was in the pilot’s seat, her face soft and almost joyful.

“Are you going to stand there or sit down?” May asked after a second, effectively erasing the scene Jemma had just been privy to.

Jemma gracefully slid into the co-pilot seat and waited, looking out the window at the sunset they were flying into.

“I’ll take Skye at night. You are monster without sleep, and I don’t want acid destroying my plane.” May says after a beat.

“She said you were ‘saying mean things’ to your computer last night.” Jemma responds, trying to ignore the monster quip.

“We aren’t talking about this.” May deadpans.

“But you will take her at night. You’re not mad at me for last night?”

“Make no mistake, you owe me, but no I’m not mad. And yes I will take her at night.”

“Does that mean you get bath duty too?” Jemma asked hopefully, and feeling a bit like one half of a very strange marriage.

May set her jaw hard and turned slowly to look at Jemma. “Bath duty.”

Jemma’s smile was overly hopeful as she nodded before realizing May wasn’t looking at the sky in front of her and freaking out. “Eyes on the sky, eyes on the sky. EYESONTHESKY!”

May rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to the very empty sky. Flying over D.C. had its perks, restricted airspace and all that.

“But yes, bath duty.” Jemma said, allowing the hope to sink back in.

“Fine. I will take bath duty. I am going to own your ass by time this is all done little girl.” May finally concedes.

Jemma leaned over to wrap May in a hug only to get a scalding look.

“Don’t touch the pilot.” May snapped.

Jemma quickly leaned back, hands up. “Sorry, sorry. Thanks for this ma’am, really.”

May nodded that she heard and accepted the thanks, but also that the conversation was over, dismissing Jemma.

* * *

 

That night May learned why Jemma wanted to give up bath duty so badly. Getting Skye into the bath was like fighting a bull, up a hill, in three feet of snow without snow boots, and once she was in the bath it was even worse. May made the mistake of trying to wet her hair down by trying to force Skye backwards and dunk her hair under the water, and almost earned herself a black eye. Water had gone everywhere when Skye started flailing around, and the scream that ripped out of her body left May with the telltale signs of a headache starting. Every bit of washing Skye was like fighting a battle without the proper reinforcements, or an extraction plan.

Once she managed to dry Skye off and dress her, May was beat. Peeling herself out of her own clothes that were varying degrees of soaked, May considered strangling Jemma in her sleep. But the anger quickly faded, she couldn’t be mad at Jemma. This was her fault. She dropped Skye off at the orphanage, and ultimately was the reason that when she was seven, she almost drowned.

The family that had attempted to take her in had been well off, there were hopeful notes written all over their pages. They already had two children, but wanted a third, and when they took Skye home everyone had been ecstatic. Everyone thought this was it, it was going to be the family that finally adopted her, but two months in, the two children the family already had threw her into the pool. Skye had no idea how to swim and she quickly sank to the bottom of the 5 foot deep pool. The father ultimately jumped in and saved her, pulling her to the surface just in time. Two days later they had returned Skye to the orphanage, apologizing profusely, but sighting that the other two children disliked her to the point of causing her harm.

May sighed, her hands tangled up in her hair while she rubbed her scalp, trying to ease the headache from Skye’s screams, away. Everything in Skye’s life had been fundamentally altered because of her choice 24 years ago.

Opening the bathroom door, her heart melted though. Skye had already climbed up on the bed, and was snuggled up around Sir Fluffington, her back pressed to the wall so May would have the outside of the bed. “Sleepy?” She asks, sliding into bed beside her.

Skye nodded, her still damp hair sticking to the pillow as she looked up at Melinda. “Leo play hide and go seek with me all day.”

May managed to keep her eye roll in check, and mentally noted that she would have to talk to Fitz about behaving like an adult. “Go to sleep then. I’ll be here in the morning.” May says, pushing a few damp hairs off of Skye’s face, before curling up beside her.


	4. Skypeing with Skye

Jemma and Melinda settled into a pattern, Jemma would be responsible for Skye until with herself or Melinda was going to bed for the night, and then Melinda would take over. Every two weeks Jemma ran blood work on Skye to keep track of how quickly she was aging, but really it was almost unnecessary. Skye was out growing clothes every few months, which is how Melinda found herself standing in some store that she had long since forgotten the name of, while Jemma helped Skye pick out clothing that would be suitable for a five year old.

She wasn’t going to get more than three months of use out of them at the rate she was growing, so they managed to keep the pile small, but when Melinda handed over her debt card to pay, she couldn’t keep the wince from showing up on her face. Three hundred dollars’ worth of clothing, she wasn’t used to spending that kind of money on clothing. Melinda maybe went shopping once every three months for cloths, and then she tended to stay towards the cheaper stores, as long as she could get her black tank tops for under the uniform and black yoga pants for the rare times she wasn’t in the uniform, she was content. Natasha on the other hand could drop three hundred and not even be close to being done.

Jemma looked at Melinda, mouthing sorry over Skye.

Melinda shrugged, if Natasha could spend the money on clothing, she could too.

The rest of the day was spent with Melinda washing and folding all the clothes, with the promise from Jemma that she would stay up a little later so Melinda could have some alone time. Which really meant Skype time with Natasha.

Putting the last load of laundry away, Melinda almost fell into her bed, grabbing the lap top in one swift motion. Natasha was on her screen, smiling brightly, almost as soon as she hit the call button.

“And here I was thinking you had left me for another.” Natasha teased.

“I’m sorry. Things have been… interesting.”

“Classified interesting or…?”

“Not really classified, but…”

“You don’t want to talk about it?”

Melinda shook her head.

“That’s fine Mel, we can talk about you spending three hundred dollars at a kids store today.” Natasha replied.

Melinda’s eyes widened, before she quickly navigated to their banks website, worried that she had forgotten to set up her direct deposit to go into the checking and not the savings. But they were fine, her checks were going where they were supposed to, and they had plenty to spare. As her eyes darted over the statement, Melinda’s eyes got wide.

“Sure, ‘Tasha, right after you explain what the hell you blew up in our apartment to cause a one thousand dollar shopping spree at Home Depot.”

“Nothing blew up. I just decided to do some home improvement while my lovely girlfriend is off saving the world and I am stuck in our apartment, waiting for the next alien invasion.” Natasha said with a smile.

“You are being far too sweet. You broke something.” Melinda started to lecture before she heard the soft whisper of her bedroom door opening.

“I’m sorry Ag- Melinda.” Jemma apologized, tripping over her words. She had just recently started using Melinda’s first name and she still caught herself dropping back into old habits. Skye smiled at Melinda from where she stood by Jemma, holding the ever present Sir Fluffington.

Melinda glanced down at the screen and saw Natasha looking at her with a smirk, an eye brow raised.

“I remember when you were my superior, it was so sexy to –“ Melinda quickly hit the mute button before Natasha could say anything more.

A blush was quickly creeping up Jemma’s face. “I’m so sorry!” She squeaked out.

“Well you’re here now.” Melinda responded, knowing full and well that Natasha could and would be reading her lips.

“Well, uhm, Skye, you see, she says she wants to come to bed.” Jemma says, the apology loud and clear to Melinda. “I know I promised you extra alone time, but…”

“You figured if she was ready for bed, she was ready for bed.”

Jemma nodded, trying to smile tightly.

“It’s fine Jemma. Will you go get her ready while I say goodnight?”

Jemma nodded quickly, grabbing sleeping clothes and pushing Skye through the bathroom door, and for yet another time, almost chuckled at this weird relationship her and Melinda had fallen into, almost like divorced parents.

“I have like five minutes ‘Tasha.” Melinda said, unmuting her computer.

“You _muted_ me!” Natasha responded, the shock in her voice mostly forced. Melinda had been on the other side of that many times when Natasha had been undercover as Natalie, they both understood.

“Something came up. I know you read my lips.”

Natasha nodded. “I really can’t make heads or tails of the information though.”

“The not quite classified stuff.” Melinda offered.

“So are you going to tell me?”

Melinda ran through the pros and cons of telling Natasha the truth, but she had sank so far into her own thoughts she missed the bathroom door opening, and she had no time to prevent Skye from leaping into the bed, snuggling close and putting herself in the camera view.

“Melinda?”

“Hi.” Skye said, waving at the screen. “Who is she mommy?”

Melinda stopped breathing and the room was spinning. Skye had called her mommy. For the first time. In front of Natasha. Her very long term girlfriend. With whom she had never discussed having children.

“Mommy?” Natasha asked, snapping reality back into place.

Melinda nodded slowly, her fingers running through Skye’s hair, making sure she was tangle free.

“Well this answers the money question. And I suppose it answers the not classified question. But it raises significantly more.” Natasha said, and Melinda watched her pulling away emotionally. She was processing all the information but it was just going into the massive data bank that was her brain.

“Natasha…”

“Maybe I should just call and we can talk. After you tuck _your_ daughter in.” And with that the screen went dark.

Melinda sighed and put the laptop aside, only to feel her heart tighten when Skye looked at her with horror painted all over her face.

“I was bad.” She murmured, pulling the stuffed bear in close. “Please don’t be mad.”

Melinda pulled Skye up and sat her in her lap, looking at her eye to eye. “I’m not mad. Why did you call me mommy?”

“Aren’t you my mommy? You and Jemma, you’re my parents.” It was said with only the innocence and snap judgment a five year old could poses.

Melinda took a deep breath, counted to ten and let it out. Three months ago Melinda May was not the kind of woman to entertain the idea of children, and now Skye was calling her mommy and implying Jemma was her other half.

Jemma.

The bathroom door closed as Jemma padded across the bedroom and took a seat at the end of the bed, trying to give Melinda space, but looking for instruction from the older woman.

“The woman on the computer, Natasha… She is my girlfriend.” Melinda started, hoping Jemma would take over, but instead Jemma’s eyes were saucers with the new information.

“When do I meet her? Is she my mommy too?” Skye asked.

Melinda’s eyes widened. She needed to talk to Natasha about this, did she even want to meet Skye, would she understand why Melinda was trying to fix this?

“That’s up to her, I have to talk to her.” Melinda answered with a tight smile.

Skye nodded, before twisting to look at Jemma. “But you’re my mommy too?”

Jemma shook her head. “No, love. I just help Melinda take care of you.”

Skye’s brow furrowed. “But you are my mommy?” She asked, turning back to Melinda.

Melinda nodded slowly.

“Okay.” And just like that the conversation was over. Skye was content with the information and was getting comfortable on her side of the bed.

While Melinda tucked Skye in, Jemma slipped out of the bed room and managed to get three steps down the hall before Melinda was behind her, and reached out grabbing her arm.

“Not a word of this to anyone.” Melinda hissed, looking back through the open door way to see Skye curled up, almost asleep already.

Jemma nodded, wide eyed. “Natasha is SHIELD?”

“She’s an Avenger. You whisper a word of this and I will let her kill you.”

“Wait… Natasha as in Natasha Romanov. The woman who I think even Coulson is slightly afraid of? You’re dating Black Widow, oh please let me tell Fitz.”

“A word, she kills you. They will never find your body.” Melinda hissed, before letting go and slipping back into the room to make sure Skye was out for the night.

Melinda stood watch until she was sure Skye wouldn’t wake up looking for her anytime soon, before slipping back out of the room. Just as she slid back into the hall her phone rang, A Kiss with a Fist ringing out.

“You have five minutes to explain everything.” That was Natasha, no hi, sorry about my disproportionate reaction to a small child calling you mommy, just right to the thick of things.

“Skye is a member of the team. An organization that is classified captured her and used her as a lab rat. She’s five years old right now, or at least that is what Jemma approximates. I dropped her off at an orphanage twenty four years ago, and her life was awful, Natasha. I just, I want to fix it. Even being deaged not all of the scars are gone.” Melinda says, and when she stops to see where her feet had carried her she is standing in front of Coulson’s office.

There was silence for a long time as they both waited. “Whose kid is she?”

“Her mother is dead, and her father is classified.”

Natasha sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“How do you exactly drop in your lover’s lap that you have taken to caring for a child that you once dropped off at an orphanage? And it’s been time consuming, balancing her and our missions.”

“Touché. That night, when you just killed the Skype call -which I’m still mad about, you don’t get to play top and leave me hanging -was because of her?”

“Yea, Jemma was going to take care of her, but she’s scared of the dark and Jemma would make Bruce look like a fluffy kitty when she has been without her sleep.”

“I’ll let him know that.” Natasha chuckled.

Melinda sighed before taking the plunge. “She wants to meet you now. She asked me if you are her mom too.”

“Melinda, I don’t know how I feel about that. We never talked about family…”

“I know...”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Love you.”

“You too.” Natasha responded before the line went dead.

Melinda didn’t even knock as she opened the door for Phil’s office, grabbing the bottle of bourbon off the shelf and its two glasses, sitting down across from him. He didn’t even look up until she threw one glass back.

“Need to talk?”

“No, I need to drink. And you won’t let me get shit faced. Jemma knows about Natasha now.” Melinda said, pouring herself another glass.

“Did you give her the “they will never find your body” talk?”

Melinda nodded, with a smirk.

“And where is Skye?”

“Sleeping. Natasha knows about her now too. Everything at least that wouldn’t be classified.”

“You know her clearance level is above yours now right?”

Melinda stared at him blankly.

“She’s level 8, same as me now.”

Melinda groaned.

“She will just end up reading the file.” Phil responded before going back to filling out paper work, keeping an eye on how much Melinda was drinking.

When he finally cut her off, she was just on the right side of drunk. “That’s enough Melinda.”

“One moooooore.” She begged.

“Enough.”

“You’re no fun.”

“You’re a sloppy drunk.”

“Am not.”

“You are. You need to go to bed Melinda.”

She rolled her eyes, before pushing out of the chair. “Aye aye, captain.”

“Everything will be fine Melinda.”

She huffed before forcing herself back to her room, to collapse in bed beside Skye. Once she was curled around the little girl, protecting her from everything, she believed Phil. Everything would be okay, Natasha would come around eventually and everything would be fine.


	5. Ice Skating

Skye looked at the ice skates Coulson handed her like they would come alive and kill her.

“What if I get hurt?” Skye asked, her eyes wide as she looked up at Phil.

“Then Melinda will yell at me, and I might lose my life, so I’ll just make sure you don’t get hurt.” Coulson said, sitting on his knees to help Skye put the skates on. “Besides, you’re eight, your body will bounce right back.”

Skye screwed her face up while she watched him wiggle her feet into the skates. “What’s that mean?”

“That I am an old man.” He says with a chuckle, tying her laces together. Standing up and balancing on his own skates, he held his hands out to her.

“I trust you.” Skye said before putting her hands in his and standing up, teetering slightly on the blades.

He smiled before walking backwards slowly to get Skye on the ice. Once feet hit ice he had to do all the supporting of Skye. Her legs went everywhere while he stood mostly still.

“Stop panicking Skye.” He said, tightening his grip on her arms. “Look at me.”

Skye looked up, eyes locking with his.

“You said you trust me. Just look at me and follow.” Coulson said, slowly skating backwards and dragging Skye across the ice with him.

The high pitched squeal that she let out had everyone turning to stare at them. One particularly brave woman skated over to them, stopping way to close for comfort for Skye, causing her to scream again and this time let go of Phil, flailing backwards.

“It’s fine Skye.” Phil tried to reassure her, continuing to hold tightly onto her, while cutting this woman a particularly nasty look.

“Oh golly, I didn’t mean to scare her.” She tried to apologize.

“Then I suggest you back up.” He responded, still trying to get eye contact with Skye.

The woman held her hands up, the universal sign of no harm, and turned around to leave the two of them.

“Skye, you have to stop panicking. Everything is fine.” Phil said, and her eyes immediately locked with his.

Slowly he started pulling her backwards again, and this time she tried matching his leg movements.  Within the hour, Skye is skating with something close to proficiency beside Phil.

“Do you trust me to do something fancy?” Phil asks after they make another lap and Skye is starting to look comfortable with the idea of skating.

After a moment Skye nods, and Phil has taken her other hand, skating backwards to pull them towards the center of the rink before whipping them around in a circle. Skye picked up on what they were doing quickly, laughing as they spun.

When they finally stopped, Skye had tears sliding down her face from laughing.

“Hot chocolate?” Phil asked as they skated towards the opening where the benches were.

“Mom doesn’t let me have it.”

Phil almost rolled his eyes before shaking his head. “Well good thing you’re mine for this week. Hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. Our little secret.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next item in this series is the explicitly rated adventures of Melinda and Natasha that take place at the same time as this chapter. There is nothing that you must read it for, but if anyone needs a break from the fluffy family stuff...


	6. Family Time

Melinda made sure not to make any mention of Skye to Natasha when she spent the furlough week with her, thankful that Phil was willing to play babysitter for the week. So it surprised her when they were lying in bed and Natasha made a quip about how playing mom had really taken to her, but that was as far as the conversation went.

“You look happy.” Phil said, gently bumping her hip with his own while they stood in the kitchen. Melinda enjoyed cooking but she would never turn down help if someone was willing, so Phil was cutting vegetables for the stir fry she was watching with far less attention than normal as her mind drifted.

“Just drifting, thinking about furlough week.” Melinda admitted.

“Oh?”

“Mhm.”

“I distinctly recall powdered sugar in your hair when you came back, so I am sure they are all wonderful thoughts.”

Melinda carefully put the wooden spoon down before punching him in the arm. Hard.

“Punching your S.O., I am sure Agent Hand would have something to put in your file about that.”

“She’s just mad I got Natasha… and once upon a time Maria. I think she is still bitter about Maria.” Melinda retorted, going back to focusing on the food.

“I’m starting to think you only have a thing for people who can kill you, which would explain why we never worked.” Phil commented.

Melinda shrugged by way of answer. “And then we would be sitting here having this conversation in reverse, because your track record with people who can kill you being in your bed isn’t much better than mine.”

“Touché.”

“Besides, I don’t think it was that. Bahrain was…awful. And you put me back together the best you could afterwards, but I wasn’t the same woman after that, and you know it. I couldn’t bear to hurt you after you did so much for me, Phil. And I would have hurt you, because you were in love with the woman who when she wasn’t on duty jumped in puddles and listened to rock music so loud it would even have Stark wincing. And she was gone.”

“I know, Mel.” He whispered, before pouring the cut up vegetables into the pan for her.

“I was actually thinking about something silly from that week though.” Melinda said, changing the subject. Bahrain still hurt even if she wouldn’t admit it out loud. Just like Natasha wouldn’t talk about Budapest, unless it was with Clint, and now Phil with Tahiti.

“Yea?”

“I think Natasha might be coming around in regards to Skye.” Melinda admitted.

“So I don’t get to baby sit next furlough week? Ice skating and hot chocolate were so much fun though.”

The clatter the spoon made as it hit the pan should have been sufficient warning that he needed to get the hell out of dodge, but Phil was a little slow post death.

“You gave her hot chocolate?” Melinda asked, her voice just above a rumble.

“Ice skating and hot chocolate go together like me and Lola.” Phil tried to defend.

“Come on, Phil. She is hyper enough without drinking liquid chocolate, and that crap is addicting.”

“Motherhood is scary on you, Mel.”

“You have no idea.” Melinda responded, the light threat dripping from her voice.

“Threatening your S.O. Your file is going to look like Stark’s if you keep this up.”

“Seriously, Phil. Hot chocolate?”

Phil nodded, rubbing his hand on the back of his head, and with the good sense to look sheepish.

“No wonder she keeps looking through the cabinets in here like a drug addict. You pretty much turned her into one.”

“I keep it in my office, she’ll never find it. Scouts honor.”

“You were never a boy scout.”

“I thought it was the sentiment that counted.”

Melinda snorted before going back to cooking.

“You used to listen to music when you cooked. I loved watching you from the couch. The only other time you look so peaceful is when you’re flying.” Phil said after a moment.

“Are you going through an afterlife crisis here and dwelling on girlfriends of past, because if you are I will happily put you in touch with Pepper again. I’m sure she would like the doting much more than I. God knows Stark wouldn’t know how to dote on that woman if the world was coming down around him. Oh wait, it did, and Pepper still ended up between Natasha and I while she cried her fears out and he drank his liver to death.”

Coulson dropped the knife and looked at her with wide eyes.

“Oh Jesus Christ, not like that! Nothing happened you dirty old man!”

“I am not going through an ‘afterlife crisis’, but if you would rather I not remember the highs of our relationship I can focus on the lows. Like sitting by the hospital bed for a week while you mended after Bahrain, trying to figure out how to put the woman I loved back together again.”

“But all the King’s horses, and all the King’s men, couldn’t put humpty dumpty back together again.” Melinda finished for him.

“I think I did a pretty good job. I think Skye is doing a better one though.”

“Shut up.”

“Yes ma’am.”

They managed to finish cooking the meal in silence, which was a testament to just how much Phil respected Melinda, because he really wanted to push more. He wanted to make her fight some of her demons, mostly because he thought motherhood really was healing her in ways she never thought possible, but in the end he figured the wounds might just scar over on their own, finally.

Jemma and Skye pulled dish washing duty, which meant the kitchen would probably be soaked by the time Melinda came back to check on them. But pulling her cell phone out of her back pocket to answer Natasha’s call, A Kiss with a Fist echoing in the lounge, she didn’t really care.

“You didn’t say anything about her when you were here for that week.” Natasha said as soon as Melinda had the phone pressed to her ear.

“I’m starting to think your skills as a super spy are slipping since it took you two months to realize that.” Melinda retorted, being careful to leave names out while there were ears other than Coulson and Jemma’s around.

Melinda heard Natasha scoff on the other end of the line. “I knew the second I got out of the shower and managed to get all that powdered sugar off my body. Speaking of which I am out of tea cakes, when is your next furlough?”

“I am starting to think you are just using me for my cooking, _honey_.”

“Not alone?”

“Working on it.” Melinda answered, smiling at the rest of the team as she left the lounge, but not before she could hear Fitz talking to Coulson.

“Agent May has a boyfriend?” He sounded scandalized.

“Not exactly.” Coulson responded, and Melinda smirked. She at least owed him the bottle of bourbon she all but polished off for that one. She was sure Fitz would be trying to get something out of Jemma within the hour, but she trusted Jemma’s fear of her and the mostly empty threat of Natasha killing her, was much higher than her need to gossip with Fitz.

“Okay.” She sighed into the phone, sliding into the pilot’s seat and slipping on her aviators in almost the same motion.

“I read her file.”

“Yea I didn’t know my girlfriend had higher clearance than me until I went to get drunk in my S.O.’s office.” Melinda bit off, and she could almost hear Natasha wince on the other end of the line.

“I thought you knew. When Fury was still playing his little Coulson is dead game they promoted me and made me Clint’s ‘handler’.” Melinda could hear the air quotes around handler. No one handled Clint Barton except Clint Barton, and even that was iffy.

“I know now. Did you just call to complain you are out of baked goods and tell me you read her file?”

“When is your next furlough week?” Natasha asked dodging the question.

“End of this month.”

“I’ll see you then, love you.”

“‘Tasha?” Melinda tried to ask but all she got was a dead line. Frowning Melinda slid the phone back into her pocket, before pushing herself out of the seat and going back to check on the kitchen.

* * *

 

Two weeks later Melinda looked at the duffle bag sitting on her bed trying to decide what to do. They were grounded in New York again, and while last time that meant she could spend time with Natasha, this time no plans had been made, with the exception of the very cryptic end of their phone call.

“What are we going to do?” Skye asked, sitting on her own bed. It was a tight squeeze but with some artful rearranging, Melinda had managed to fit both beds, a night stand, and a dresser into the room.

“I’m not sure.” Melinda admitted.

“We could go ice skating!”

“Your ninja mother can’t skate.” Melinda responded.

“Not from lack of me trying to teach her.” Phil said from the doorway.

“I think my butt is permanently bruised from the last time you tried to teach me to ice skate.”

“I have so many comments that I want to make right now Melinda, but there is a child present.”

“So that’s the key to get you to stop making inappropriate comments towards me. Come here pumpkin, I am getting you surgically attached.” Melinda said, sitting on Skye’s bed and pulling her close into her side.

“I think I should get a vote on any future surgical procedures.” Melinda thought her brain was playing tricks on her until Natasha slid into view in the door way. “I wanted to surprise you, but Phil stopped me, something about having had enough mother May lectures for two life times.”

“There’s a joke in there.” Melinda said, her smile widening.

“Have a nice week off, Melinda. It was good to see you, Natasha.” Phil said, before slipping away.

“I remember you.” Skye finally said, looking at Natasha with wide eyes. “You’re mom’s girlfriend.”

Natasha nodded. “I want to spend the week with you two.”

“Yea?” Melinda asked.

Natasha nodded again.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Stark ‘liberated’ a quinjet for me. I was thinking Cedar Point.” Natasha said with a smirk.

“At some point you are going to have to tell me what you have on that man that he bends to your every whim.” Melinda said, before slinging both her own duffle bag and Skye’s onto her shoulder.

“Now what would be the fun in that?” Natasha countered before they made their way to the waiting quinjet one bay over.

* * *

 

Melinda quickly discovered that her opinions on Cedar Point were completely null and void, when after they landed, Natasha quickly ushered them to a hotel, where she had already reserved one of, if not the, largest suite.

“We get early access to the park tomorrow, but I was thinking movie night tonight?” Natasha said once everyone had duffle bags in the correct rooms.

“Popcorn?” Skye asked from where she was curled up in an oversized chair.

“Of course. What kind of life are you living with Melinda where that is even a question?” Natasha responded.

“One where I try to make sure she has a balanced diet.” Melinda said, rolling her eyes.

“Popcorn is part of a balanced diet. Just ask Thor.” Natasha retorted.

“I’ll pick the movie, you make the popcorn.” Melinda relented, falling onto the couch and grabbing the remote in the same motion.

When Natasha returned to the couch, an overly large bowl of popcorn in her hands Melinda had picked a movie and told Skye to come sit beside her. Natasha passed Skye the bowl before sitting down beside her, effectively making a Skye sandwich.

“What are we watching?” Natasha asked, a handful of popcorn already being tossed into her mouth.

“Mulan.”

“Yes!” Natasha responded, a bit too happy, even for Skye.

“Should I be jealous of a cartoon character?” Melinda asked.

“I have a type. Asian women who save their country.” Natasha said with a shrug.

“Shhhh!” Skye hissed at them as the Disney logo played on the screen.

“So bossy.” Natasha whispered before wiggling to get comfortable.

One overly loud rendition of ‘I’ll Make a Man Out of You’ and ‘Girl Worth Fighting For’ later Skye was snoring between the two of them, the popcorn bowl long since removed from her lap.

“We should take her to bed.” Melinda said, putting the remote down after the end credits rolled.

“She looks so peaceful though.” Natasha responded.

“Bed.” Melinda said, untangling herself from Skye before picking her up like she weighed nothing and carrying her to the room she had claimed. Melinda tucked her in quickly before spinning around to look for Sir Fluffington, knowing if Skye woke up without him they would be apologizing to the rest of the people in the hall for the rest of the week.

“Looking for this?” Natasha asked from the doorway, the stuffed animal held out.

“Where was it?” Melinda asked, taking the stuffed bear and sliding him into Skye’s arms.

“On our bed.” Natasha responded before they slipped out of the room, leaving the door cracked just enough that Skye would be able to see the main room from the bed.

“That’s odd. I think Jemma has forever lost that stuffed bear, Skye is so attached to it. I made the mistake of putting it in the wash one night before bed and when she woke up without him, well even Jemma’s super painkillers weren’t enough for the head ache from that scream.”

Natasha chuckled lightly. “I’ll be sure to invest in good ear plugs for furlough weeks then.”

“Whoa. ‘Tasha?”

“Hmm?”

“Are we not going to discuss this?” Melinda asked, sitting on their bed.

“Nope. I made a choice. Done deal.”

“That’s not how this supposed to work.”

“How are you possibly mad at me for deciding to do what you wanted?” Natasha asked, falling back on the bed so that she was looking up into Melinda’s eyes.

“Because you pulled a 180 on me without even a strap in and hold on warning.”

“Look, she is obviously important to you. Do I wish we would have talked about having a family before I Skyped you one night, very ready for some adult time, and a child was calling you mommy? Sure. But it’s not like I can go back in time, so I am embracing it. Besides, it’s not like it’s going to take her nine or ten more years to age into being an adult again, I can handle three or four years of playing mommy with my girlfriend.” Natasha said, sliding her hands into Melinda’s. “I think she’s good for you, too. I don’t want you to be all hard and closed off like you were, and she’s making you come out of that shell. Don’t give me that look.”

“You mean the look that says clearly my ex-boyfriend has been talking to my girlfriend more often than I have?”

“Phil may have mentioned it.”

Melinda rolled her eyes before grunting and getting comfortable on her side. Natasha watched her, a bit of fear present that she had over stepped some line, but Melinda quickly stomped it out. “Are you going to spoon your girlfriend or what?”

“Oh.” Natasha breathed out before moving around to lay behind Melinda.

Melinda took Natasha’s left hand in her own, her fingers tracing over the base of Natasha’s ring finger. “I should fix this sometime soon.” She murmured.

“Oh yea? I thought the big spoon was supposed to do the proposing.”

“When have we ever done anything how it was supposed to be done?”

* * *

 

Melinda stood in line, clutching Skye’s hand much harder than Skye was holding hers, as they watched the ‘roller coaster’ shoot off.

“We are not getting on that _thing_.” Melinda argued with Natasha.

“You are a super spy, who flies a plane that really shouldn’t be flyable, and the top thrill dragster is where your hard limit is?” Natasha asked, the look of disbelief was all over her face.

“One hundred and twenty miles per hour in less than four seconds. There is no way you are getting me on that thing!”

“What about Skye?” Natasha asked, crouching down to look at the little girl.

“I want to ride!” She squealed loudly.

“You get her killed, you are filling out the paper work.” Melinda said with a huff before leaving Skye with Natasha line.

She was seriously starting to question the sanity of her girlfriend. The ride was only supposed to be 17 seconds long, but 120 miles per hour was insane, even for that short amount of time. Watching from behind the fence, she waved as they sat down in the front car naturally, and tried not to hold her breath as she watched the lights change from red to green. A moment later the cart whipped part Melinda and up the curve and down the other side. Seventeen seconds. Melinda didn’t even realize she had held her breath until the carts stopped and she saw Natasha’s red hair standing up and walking around to exit, and she exhaled shakily.

“Mommy it was so much fun!” Skye yelled, running full speed at Melinda.

“Yea mommy, it was awesome.” Natasha added, sliding beside Melinda.

“Well, I almost had a heart attack watching you guys. I don’t think I want to get on that thing.” Melinda conceded, putting Skye between her and Natasha before the set off to the next ride.

Melinda managed to brave her way through most of the roller coasters, and was more than happy to go on the regular rides with them. But she was tired, and wanted something other than amusement park food by the time that the sun was starting to set and Natasha and Skye were looking at her with puppy dog eyes.

“Come on, please. Come on the gatekeeper with us.” Skye begged.

“Yea! Please.” Natasha whined.

Melinda rolled her eyes, but ushered them both into line. “You two together would be enough to bring empires to their knees with those looks.”

“I am familiar with the practice of brining an empire down with a look.” Natasha answered before wrapping her arms around Melinda from behind and putting her chin on Melinda’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine Mel.”

“I have done most of them with you, why can’t I sit this one out?”

“Because it’s new, and you skipped all the good ones. You have to ride at least one intense one.”

Melinda grumbled, but kept moving forward with the line.

“Are you scared?” Skye asked, holding Melinda’s hand.

“I don’t really like roller coasters.” Melinda admitted.

“Then why did you ride the others?”

“Because I trust ‘Tasha to keep me safe, on most of them anyway. And because if you are brave enough for them, than I can be too.”

“Oh.” Skye said, her face was tight like she was thinking really hard about something, but Melinda figured the little girl would share when she was ready.

When they were finally seated, Melinda was on the other side of the main line of track while Natasha and Skye sat together. She would much rather be clutching Natasha’s hand with all her strength but it just wasn’t in the cards.

After one upside down drop at sixty five miles per hour, a few 360 spins, a zero g roll, a 360 spiral and more of the ride being backwards than Melinda was comfortable with, she was finally stumbling from the ride. She managed to make it five steps away from the gate and to a trashcan before all the amusement park food she ate during the day made an awful reappearance.

“Oh hell, Mel.” Natasha said, rubbing Melinda’s back while she got violently ill.

When she finally stood up, Skye’s hand slid into hers immediately. “Are you okay?”

Melinda nodded slowly, shifting to lean into Natasha. “I want a big bowl of chicken noodle soup and to go to bed now. And if you ever drag me on one of those things again I will kill you in your sleep.” Melinda whispered, just loud enough for Natasha to hear.

They made their way back to the hotel and once they got to their suit, Melinda broke away with Skye to tuck her in for the night.

“You can turn the light off tonight, just leave the door open.” Skye said, wiggling down into the bed.

“Are you sure?” Melinda asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I trust you and Natasha to keep me safe.” Skye whispered back.

“You can always get up and turn the light on.” Melinda promised before pressing a kiss to Skye’s forehead.

“I trust you.”

Melinda smiled, standing up and turning the light off, making sure to leave the door cracked enough that some light would spill into the room.

“Chicken noodle soup and bed.” Natasha said, seeing her slip out of the room.

Melinda nodded, padding to their bed room, shedding clothes as she went so that by the time she got to the bed she was just in the comfortable sports bra and boy shorts she preferred to sleep in.

“You tell Phil I puked my guts out after that rollercoaster I am ending your life.” Melinda said, taking the bowl of soup from Natasha and preparing to dig in.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Mel.”


	7. Computer Education

Skye sat at the holotable in the lab, her face scrunched up in concentration. Hands moving as if she was conducting her own private symphony as she manipulated the projection in front of her.

“What you doing munchkin?” Fitz asked, putting his hands around her sides to prevent her from falling off the stool.

She shrugged, pulling her hands back from the holotable to stop the registering of her movements. “It was up when I came in to look for you and Jemma.”

Fitz’s eyes went wide as he finally tried to make sense of what was rotating above the holotable. He could have sworn he had closed the plans for his latest piece of tech before he left to grab some of whatever Melinda had been making, only to arrive too late as Coulson and Ward finished off whatever she made. But now as he looked at the shimmering hologram, he realized it was his plans, only now a ten year old had been tinkering with them for at least fifteen minutes.

“Oh Skye, what have you done?” He asked, his heart beating in overtime.

She turned her head to look up at him, fear seeping into her features at the edges.

Fitz took a couple of deep breaths before ruffling her hair. “It’s okay. I promise, let’s see what you’ve done, aye?”

Skye nodded, swallowing hard when he sat down on the stool next to her. Diving head first into it, he started moving the plan around, looking at what Skye had done. After multiple ‘hmms’, a few grunts, and one ‘aha’, Fitz leaned back to look at Skye.

“You fixed it.” He declared.

Skye blinked slowly at him, before he explained.

“You fixed it! You made all the circuits work, and the pseudocode. Everything works!” Without warning Fitz was standing and holding Skye as he spun around.

When he finally came to a stop, placing a now very dizzy Skye on the ground, he quickly made sure to save her changes before sitting on the stool.

“Teach me your ways.” Fitz begged.

Two hours later when Melinda came looking for Skye, the two were bent over the table, Skye explaining as best she could why what she did made sense.

“Getting schooled by a ten year old, tsk tsk Fitz.” Melinda said from the doorway.

“Mommy!” Skye squealed, before sliding off her stool and running to Melinda.

“Are you teaching Leo?”

Skye nodded, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the table as well. “See, I fixed his remote activated night night drone.”

“Remote activated night night drone?” Melinda asked, an eyebrow raised at Fitz.

“For tight spaces, when the sniper rifle or hand gun won’t work.” He supplied.

“I approve. She fixed it?”

“I did!” Skye all but shouted.

“She fixed everything, May. The pseudo code logic, the circuitry design. Everything.” He said, his eyes wide.

“I guess some things are just that deep.” Melinda responded, sitting on a stool and putting Skye on her lap, listening to Fitz sing Skye’s praises.


	8. Science Sisters

“Do you think she ever got to make like the science fair volcano or anything?” Jemma asked, out of the blue one day while she and Melinda shared lunch.

Melinda’s mouth twitched, pulling to one side as she mulled over the thought. “I don’t think so. Why?”

“Science is kind of my thing and I thought it would be a fun day project.” Jemma answered with a shrug.

“Nothing deadly. Explaining a dead eleven year old is not on my list of fun things to do.” Melinda responded seriously.

“Nothing deadly.” Jemma vowed.

“Fine.” Melinda relented, but Jemma knew she would be standing in the doorway of the lab to watch. After she left Skye alone with Coulson and the little girl came back with a sudden love of hot chocolate, Melinda was a bit wary of not being able to mother hen over her. And Coulson had a new found respect for Melinda May. A respect that left him looking like someone had told him that the last suit in the world had been made, and no he could not have it, but then Jemma figured being lectured by a mother hen and captain bad ass, would do that.

It was almost as if Skye knew they were talking about her, the little girl came sliding into the kitchen, stopping just short of the counter that would have taken her teeth out otherwise.

“What have I told you about running around like that?” Melinda asked, she didn’t even look up from the bowl of food.

“That if I continue to behave like I have no respectable upbringing then I will end up with no teeth and probably a few broken bones.” Skye responded, and Jemma had to hide her smirk. Almost every time Skye acted reckless, Melinda gave the lecture or made Skye say it.

“Jemma was going to do science with you, but if you want to misbehave she will have to do all the fun experiments by herself.

“Oh come on, that’s so not fair!” Skye whined, pulling herself up onto a stool to sit next to Jemma. “Tell her Jemma!”

“She’s pulling mum rank Skye and I am far smarter than Coulson. I will not get put in the middle of this.” Jemma said, trying to lean away from Skye, but only getting so far on the stool.

Melinda rolled her eyes before looking up. “You promise to follow Jemma’s instructions?”

Skye nodded eagerly.

“Fine. Let’s go do some science.”

“You’re coming with?” Skye asked, her eye brow raised in a perfect arc that mimicked Melinda’s.

“Like I would trust you implicitly not to blow something up.” Melinda answered, grabbing her bowl and Jemma’s and dropping them in the sink.

Skye managed to look affronted for almost a minute before hopping off the stool. “Race ya!”

“Skye Natalie May!” Melinda yelled before the girl got enough momentum to start actually running.

Skye stood and turned slowly to look at Melinda.

“What on earth has gotten into you?” Melinda asked before seeing Coulson’s face for a second. “Phillip Coulson get your no good doing self into this kitchen right now.”

“Busted.” Skye whispered as Coulson walked into the kitchen as if he was walking to his own death. And with Melinda May he very well might have been.

“Hot chocolate?” Melinda asked.

He nodded slowly.

The look Melinda turned on him almost made his blood run cold. He wasn’t kidding when he said motherhood was scary on her.

“Maybe I need to start lecturing you as much as I do her about making ill-advised decisions. I thought I made it clear that hot chocolate was not on my approved list of food and drink for her.”

“You did. But look at that face! How do you say no to that face?”

“Fine. You get to help babysit then while she and Jemma make a science fair volcano.” Melinda said, waving it off for now, but vowing to revisit the hot chocolate issue at a later date.

Coulson almost looked relieved for a second, and then he realized that a quick break of his arm in three places would have been a much more merciful punishment.

And three hours later when Melinda started peeling semi dry pieces of paper and glue off herself and Phil, she wondered at how good of an idea it really was to let Skye and Jemma play together. The volcano they managed to sculpt together was rather impressive though, she had to admit. Skye was sitting on the table, a paintbrush and cup of paint in hand as she painted over the uneven surface, trying to follow Jemma’s instructions on making it look realistic before they got to the “fun” stuff.

“I don’t even know how we got this crap on us. We weren’t even involved in making the damn thing, we are innocent casualties!” Melinda muttered.

“You owe me a suit.” Coulson retorted.

“I do not. You could have changed.”

Coulson rolled his eyes, as they continued to pick strips of paper off each other. By the time they were finished, Jemma was holding onto Skye’s hips as she carefully lowered a graduated cylinder into the opening of the volcano sculpture, while standing on the table.

“You two are trying to make me have a heart attack aren’t you?” Melinda asked, grabbing her chest in mock pain.

“Well someone had to put the stuff in, might as well be the munchkin.” Jemma said, handing over a little flexible bowl that had the premeasured baking soda. “Make sure it all gets in that cylinder.”

Skye nodded, taking the bowl and focusing intently on her job. Next came dish soap and finally food coloring, they had already agreed on the perfect color for the lava. Melinda had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from saying that cotton candy colors are not lava like. At all.

“Ready for eruption?” Jemma asked, helping Skye down off the table.

“Yes!” Skye shouted, overly enthusiastic.

“Goggles.” Jemma said, pulling down her own pair, while Melinda and Phil plastered themselves against the closed door. Once Skye pulled her own down, Jemma held the beaker of vinegar over the top. “Three.”

“Two.” Skye prompted.

“One!” Jemma all but shouted, tipping the beaker and starting the eruption. Pink and blue foam exploded from the volcano before settling to an ooze out of the top and down the sides. Skye watched in complete fascination while the last of the chemical reaction played out.

“A plus.” Jemma declared, wrapping her arms around Skye and putting her chin on her shoulder.

“What’s that mean?” Skye asked, trying to twist to see her face.

“That you did an excellent job as my science sister.”

“It was awesome. Can we make more?”

“NO!” Melinda and Phil both yelled from the door, where apparently they had been in the line of fire, and were currently drenched in cotton candy colored soap bubbles.

* * *

 

A few weeks later Melinda was walking through the plane, looking for Skye and Jemma when she heard what sounded like a sparkler going off. Cutting her eyes, she made her way to lab only to find it full of smoke, which smelt faintly of cotton candy.

“What are you two doing?” Melinda yelled towards the flare of bright light in a test tube.

“Gummy bear rocket!” Skye yelled back.

“Gummy… bear… rocket…” Melinda repeated back, as if she couldn’t quite make herself believe that this was her life now.

“It’s really fascinating Melinda. Potassium chlorate reacts with the gummy bear when heated to create this rocket like effect.” Jemma supplied, hitting the button for the isolated fan in the lab, sucking the smoke out once the light show ended.

“Why?”

“Well I don’t really know honestly. I think it has something to do with the gelatin being super-heated.” Jemma supplied.

“That is not what I meant Jemma Simmons! Why are you doing more science with the eleven year old?”

“She saw it on Mythbusters. I told her we could do this one. Although she wants you to do some of the driving ones.”

“Not a chance.” Melinda responded, watching Skye as she loaded the test tube up with more materials before Jemma lit the burner underneath. She had to admit, it was pretty awesome.


	9. The Great Hot Chocolate Hiest

“Yes!” Skye shouted defiantly.

“No!” Ward yelled back.

“Yes!”

“Not a chance!”

“Come on!”

“Nope.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“No.”

“Yes!” Ward yelled back, and a second later his face fell. The eleven year old had tricked him with the simplest trick in the book.

“Gotcha! Now you have to.” Skye said victoriously, hands on her hips.

“There is no way I am sneaking into Coulson’s office for hot chocolate for you. He and Melinda would both kill me.”

“That’s really not my problem super spy. Figure it out.”

Ward was a sucker for a challenge, and this was one if he ever heard it. Which is how he found himself sitting in Coulson’s office fifteen minutes later, Melinda staring a hole through him.

“You are exceedingly poor at this spy thing.” Skye said from her chair next to him.

“Skye Natalie May, I don’t want to hear a word out of you.” Melinda almost barked at her.

“It’s not my fault the big super spy couldn’t be bothered to see if you were yelling at Phil before he tried to lift the hot chocolate.”

Melinda took a deep breath and counted to ten, and then decided she needed a higher number. After she counted to fifty she was finally calm enough to start over.

“While I agree with you assessment that Grant needs a refresher on how to be a spy exactly, that doesn’t mean you are getting away with this young lady.” Melinda bit off.

Grant groaned from his chair. Melinda deciding he needed a refresher on how to be a spy would mean training that involved one of the FitzSimmons creations that would test every skill he may need as a spy.

“Groan again, I dare you.” Melinda said, facing him for the first time since he was caught trying to slip into the office. “You’re dismissed.”

“What? No! You can’t go. You were my partner in crime. You can’t leave me with _her_.” Skye frantically said, knowing she had finally pushed to the point where Melinda might be truly mad at her.

“Sorry kid, she’s your mom. And she scares the crap out of me.”

“Language!” Melinda barked at him.

“Sorry.” He muttered before fleeing the room.

“What part of no more hot chocolate are you misunderstanding, young lady?” Melinda asked, leaning against Phil’s desk to look at Skye.

“It’s soooo gooood though.” Skye whined.

“And I said no.”

“So did he, for a while.”

“You tricked him didn’t you?”

Skye nodded proudly.

“Oh no, you do not get to be proud of that.”

Skye’s face immediately fell.

“You disobeyed me and got Grant in trouble too, and I am honestly at a loss for how to punish you.” Melinda admitted with a sigh.

“So don’t?” Skye suggested, her face lighting up a bit.

“Not a chance. You know I think I have an idea after all.” Melinda said, leaning back to pull open one of Phil’s drawers, shifting things around until she found what she was looking for. The technology nanny bracelet.

“What’s that do?”

“No technology for a week.” Melinda said, snapping it around Skye’s wrist before the girl could protest.

“Like all technology?”

Melinda nodded. “I think this will be a good lesson, on obeying your mother. If you want to watch tv, I have to turn it on for you. No mindlessly playing games on the lap tops. Nothing.”


	10. Cooking

Around the time that Jemma informed them that Skye was fourteen, Melinda decided she needed to learn to cook. She might not remember, but on the off chance she did, Melinda selfishly hoped that she may con Skye into cooking on the nights she didn’t feel like it. There were only so many times a woman who was attempting to stay in shape could eat the heart attack on rolls that Coulson and Ward were so fond of making before she lost her mind.

Melinda leaned against the doorframe of Skye’s room, watching Skye work on some computer thing that she had no hope of understanding. When Skye finally looked up, drawing her fingers through her hair in frustration, she smiled.

“Hey mom.”

Melinda couldn’t keep the smile off her face if she tried. “Hey, so I was thinking I would teach you to cook.”

"I know how to cook, you put the little frozen cardboard box in the microwave, you push the button and five minutes later, voilà."

"That's not cooking.” Melinda deadpanned.

 “You want to teach me to cook like pot and pan, from scratch cook? Like you do?” Skye asked.

Melinda nodded, “Just like I do.”

Skye’s smile managed to get even wider, as she closed her lap top and bounced off her bed. “Let’s do this thing!”

Melinda rolled her eyes, trailing after Skye to the kitchen. It would all be worth it if she never had to eat another steak hoagie that left a pool of grease on the plate. Dropping her iPod on the dock in the kitchen, Melinda put on her cooking music, which was really just a bunch of rock and roll.

“We’ll start easy with something baked.” Melinda announced, pulling bowls and other various ingredients out of cabinets and putting them on the center island.

“What are we baking? Cookies?” Skye asked hopeful.

Melinda tossed her head back and forth, like she was trying to make a decision. “They are kind of like cookies. Russian tea cakes.”

“Natasha’s favorite?” Skye asked.

Melinda nodded. “Every time I am home I bake a bunch for her.”

“Aw.”

Melinda rolls her eyes, but there isn’t as much malice in it as there could be, because deep down she thought it was adorable too.

“Alright, let’s get started.” Melinda says after a moment. “Preheat the oven to 350.”

Skye stared at the oven for at least five minutes before hitting the buttons for preheating, much to Melinda’s amusement.

“Mix a cup of butter and a teaspoon of vanilla together in a bowl.” Melinda instructed next.

And they fell into an easy partnership, Melinda only taking over to cut up the walnuts. That is until the end, after they were baked and the time came to roll the small balls in powdered sugar. They managed to get the first dozen rolled in the sugar before sugar started flying.

It really had started as an accident, Skye had dropped the cakes into the sugar and sugar went everywhere, but once Melinda stopped sputtering, she grabbed a handful of the sugar and threw it at Skye for pay back. Back and forth they went, throwing sugar until a throat clear made them both freeze and turn slowly to look at the door, where Coulson was standing with a cell phone pointed at both them.

“Phil, don’t you dare!” Melinda yelled.

“Too late.” He declares.

Melinda groaned, looking down at herself and over to Skye. Both of them were covered in the powder sugar and the kitchen looked like a minor tornado had blown through. And now Phil Coulson had photographic proof that not only could she have fun still, but she could act like a total dork while doing it.

“Natasha says she’s framing that.” Coulson says after pulling his phone back out when the ringtone rang out. “You should go shower. I will make Ward clean this up. I’m sure he has said something to FitzSimmons in the past week that warrants punishment.” Coulson says with a chuckle.

Melinda and Skye both nod, heading off to their own showers. Skye had disappeared around the corner, when Coulson grabbed Melinda’s arm.

“I’m glad the Melinda May I wanted to marry 24 years ago is coming back. I’ve missed her, and I am sure Natasha is just as happy.” He whispered, before trying in vain to dust the sugar of his hands from where he had grabbed her.

“I’m happy she’s back too.” Melinda admitted, even if she currently felt like she was going to crawl out of her skin if all the sugar didn’t get off her soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone that is curious, the full recipe for Russian Tea Cakes (at least the one I used) is here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Russian-Tea-Cakes-I/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=russian%20tea%20cakes&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe%20Hub


	11. Paintball

“No.” Melinda deadpanned.

“Come on, May. What kind of protective older brother type would I be if I didn’t teach her to fight like a good solider? It’s just paintball.” Ward was dangerously close to a whine.

“You are not taking my sixteen year old to a paintball field, to fight against you. That is an imbalance of power and you know it.”

“So you want to come too?”

“It’s like you are begging me to kick your ass.” Melinda responded.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Ward said cheerfully before turning on his heel to go inform Skye.

Melinda shook her head, almost pitying Ward. She considered herself a far better teacher than him, and once she got Skye situated, he would most assuredly be returning to the plane with a variety of welts from herself and Skye.

* * *

 

Three hours later, Melinda was parking the SUV at the paintball field, two sets of her old tactical gear thrown in the back, while Ward opted for just a few layers of clothing. She looked forward to the screams she would hear later when Jemma would attempt to nurse his wounds.

Ward almost jumped from the car, excitement rolling off of him in waves, while Skye was a bit more tentative, only getting out when Melinda did.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Skye asked, taking one of the duffle bags that Melinda pulled out of the back and handed to her.

“No. I am sure though that I am going to kick his ass into next week.” Melinda responded before placing a kiss to Skye’s forehead. “You’ll be fine, mama bear will protect you like always.”

Skye smiled, although it didn’t quite meet her eyes. When they walked through the doors to the main building Ward was waiting with three guns, two with pink paint balls and one with blue.

“We have the field for two hours.” He announced, holding out the two guns with pink paint balls to them. “Then some birthday party or something is showing up.”

Melinda nodded as they took the guns, putting them on the floor while they pulled on the tactical gear over their shorts and tank tops.

The click of her tongue against teeth should have clued Ward in to the lashing he was about to receive.

“Why do I have the girl gun? You couldn’t get different colors? Are you that cocky? You are aren’t you?“ Melinda rapid fired at Ward.

Ward’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. He really had no answers for her, he couldn’t have justified giving her the girly gun for the life of him, other than he thought Skye couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, and that would probably get him at least a slap across the back of the head for disrespecting Skye.

Shaking her head Melinda quickly showed Skye the ins and outs of the paintball guns, before sliding her facemask down. Skye followed Melinda quickly through the door for to the fenced in field before they split off from Ward.

Melinda and Skye fell into an easy pattern, Melinda checking ahead of them while Skye checked behind as they moved through the field. They were crouched in a tunnel when they heard Ward’s footsteps running along the outside.

“You go left, I’ll go right, and we will sandwich him.” Melinda whispered before quickly moving, crouched low. Skye moved and by the time she rounded the corner Melinda was doing the same, her gun aimed at Ward.

“Surrender or we shoot.” Skye yelled from behind him and he turned around, realizing he was trapped.

“Never!” He yelled, turning to take out the bigger threat, Melinda only to be spiked by three paintballs to the chest.

Skye took the chance and opened fire on his back.

“I give!” He finally yelled after they had shot him around fifteen times each, despite him trying to move away.

Melinda pulled her face mask up, a smirk playing across her lips. “I take it back, this was a good idea. Skye is a much better tactical partner than you.”

Ward grunted, stiffly walking towards the building while Melinda and Skye laughed behind him.  His once grey shirt and sweats were now splattered with pink paint and would likely be ruined, while their black tactical gear was mostly spotless, the exception a bit of dust from crawling around.

“This was his idea?” Skye asked.

Melinda nodded. “He even invited me. I bet he is regretting that.”

“You weren’t going to let him drag me out here with just me and him right?”

Melinda slapped her back lightly. “It’s like you don’t trust your mom.”

* * *

 

Melinda and Skye were curled up on the couch watching some horror movie when Ward’s yells echoed up the stairs.

“You touch me again I am going to snap your fingers Simmons!”

“The welts need to be cleaned and medication applied.” Simmons replied, as close to yelling as they had ever heard her.

Melinda smirked at Skye. “Don’t mess with mama bear.”

 


	12. Epilogue

Melinda was sitting in the cockpit, aviators on, when Skye dropped into the co-pilot seat next to her with a loud sigh.

“If Jemma tries to run any more tests on me I am going to have to kill her.”

“She just wants to make sure you’re okay.”

“I feel fine. I have both sets of memories growing up, which is a bit much to contend with, but I’m fine.” Skye sighed.

“You remember everything from both times?”

“Yea. You and Natasha Romanov are adorable.”

Melinda blushed, looking down at the ruby on her ring finger that would glint in the sun on occasion.

“So, you remember me taking care of you?”

“You were always mom, Melinda. Although A.C. used to be kind of dad like, but Natasha is way better at that whole cool parent thing to balance out your strictness.” Skye said with a laugh. “I would never trade back my second childhood. It was awesome with you guys. You fixed some of the things that were broken, too. I can sleep without the light on all the time now.”

“You fixed me too, you know.” Melinda whispered.

“De-aging Skye, ten out of ten, would recommend for team building and wound healing.”

“Dork.” Melinda said, a smirk playing over her lips.

“Just because me and Jemma have an agreement over a stuffed bear like divorced parents…”

“Every other weekend and Wednesdays?”

“I’m not helping myself here, am I?”

“Not a chance.”


End file.
